Slideshow: See How Much Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Lawrence, And More Look Like The Real People They Played This Year

Every awards season is crammed with stories based on real life, but this year we seem to be blessed with real people who are even more colorful than the famous actors playing them. From the charming con man with the combover who gave Christian Bale advice on how to play him, to the world-famous leader who inspired millions, here are the real people behind some of the year's best performances, presented side-by-side with the actors playing them on-screen. Who looks the most like their real-life counterpart? Which characters are basically made up entirely? Click through for the true story behind "based on a true story."

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Right, courtesy of The Weinstein Company.

AMERICAN HUSTLE: Christian Bale/Melvin Weinberg

Though he’s playing a character named Irving Rosenfeld, Bale met several times with Weinberg, the real-life inspiration for his character, before production began on American Hustle. The actor ultimately improvised lines based on what he learned from the convicted con artist.